Mosagallaku Mosagadu (1971 film)

Mosagallaku Mosagadu
Theatrical releaseposter
Directed by	K. S. R. Das
Written by	Aarudra
Produced by	G. Adiseshagiri Rao
Starring	Krishna Vijaya Nirmala Nagabhushanam Gummadi Kaikala Satyanarayana M. Prabhakar Reddy Dhulipala Jyothi Lakshmi
Cinematography	V. S. R. Swamy
Edited by	Kotagiri Gopala Rao
Music by	P. Adinarayana Rao
Production company	Padmalaya Studios
Distributed by	Padmalaya Studios
Release date	27 August 1971 (1971-08-27)
Running time	159 minutes
Country	India
Language	Telugu

Mosagallaku Mosagadu (transl. Deceiver of deceivers) is a 1971 Indian Telugu-language Western film directed by K. S. R. Das and written by Aarudra. Produced by G. Adiseshagiri Rao under the banner of Sri Padmalaya Films, the film features Krishna, Vijaya Nirmala, Nagabhushanam, Kaikala Satyanarayana, Gummadi, Dhulipala, M. Prabhakar Reddy, and Jyothi Lakshmi in prominent roles. It is considered the first true Western genre film made in India.^[1]

Inspired by classic Western films, Mosagallaku Mosagadu is set in the 18th century, during the anarchy following the Battle of Bobbili (1757). The film combines historical elements with a fictional treasure hunt narrative, focusing on the search for lost treasure belonging to the Amaraveedu dynasty. It was notable for its use of Eastmancolor, marking a technical milestone for Telugu cinema, and was shot in various locations including Bikaner, Shimla, and the Thar Desert.^[2]

Released on 27 August 1971, Mosagallaku Mosagadu achieved major success, running for 100 days in multiple theatres. It established Krishna as the first Telugu "cowboy" and sparked a wave of similar productions in Telugu cinema. The film was subsequently dubbed into Tamil as Mosakkaaranukku Mosakkaaran, Hindi as Gunfighter Johnny, and released in a trimmed English version titled Treasure Hunt. Its success also influenced the adoption of the Western genre in Hindi films.^[1]